Roark: Powelson is perfect spot for Carroll’s first turf field

North Carroll players gather on the field at halftime of their win over the Eagles in Hampstead, the final home game played at North Carroll's Powelson Field in 2016.

North Carroll players gather on the field at halftime of their win over the Eagles in Hampstead, the final home game played at North Carroll's Powelson Field in 2016. (Dylan Slagle / Carroll County Times file)

Jim RoarkOther Voices

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: I’m probably biased on this. I live in Hampstead and serve on the Hampstead Town Council. But that being said, is there any other location in Carroll County that has the amenities for the first turf field that the North Carroll stadium and campus have?

Everything you could ever want concerning infrastructure already exists at North Carroll. You have the stadium with all the seating. There is a working press box, great lighting, concession stand and indoor bathrooms. You also have more than adequate parking available with easy access to the facility either from Md. 482 from the Westminster area, or driving up Md. 30 from the southern end.

North Carroll’s Powelson Field is “shovel ready.” This is the only site in the county that is ready to go. All it needs is the turf field, and you can expect to fill the already existing stands with family and friends of the teams playing.

One of the long-standing reasons Carroll County has not already installed a turf field was that the county was looking at high school stadiums, obviously the best spots. But the county did not want to give a preference or sense of favoritism to any particular school. Totally understandable, and what makes this spot unique is, although it is no longer a school, all the amenities of a major high school facility are still there.

Also since it would not be a primary use for a school field, it would be open to any and all. This would be a county facility open to all teams and all communities. The same cannot be said for any other high school or even Carroll Community College, where the school teams would appropriately have first use of the facility.

Another reason against Powelson Field that is always heard is North Carroll is not “central” in the county.

I searched travel times from all the high schools in the county, comparing travel to North Carroll versus travel to Westminster. The biggest difference I found was 12 minutes which was coming from the South Carroll area. Most parents and bus drivers would much rather drive an additional 12 minutes to a location with extremely easy access, adequate parking and excellent amenities, rather than drive 12 less minutes to a location that’s difficult and dangerous to get into, struggle to find parking and lacks the amenities.

You also have numerous restaurants and stores with different options within a 5-minute drive of North Carroll, something that is lacking at many sports complexes that are currently being used by rec council teams. Many parents from around the county have told me how much they enjoyed having a weekend tournament at North Carroll because there were places to go during their down time.

In my opinion, it is an embarrassment to the county that we don’t have the facilities to house our own kids’ athletic events. Last year over $80,000 was paid to use fields outside our county for high school sports because of weather issues. That does not include anything that local rec councils paid. Why should we continue to pay other counties to use their turf when we have the perfect opportunity to have our own turf field at North Carroll, which could quickly be put to use?

The money is there. There is $500,000 already in the county budget which the commissioners put there two years ago specifically for North Carroll, and now state Sen. Justin Ready and Del. Haven Shoemaker have bills in Annapolis asking for state money to match the county’s $500,000. If the state is willing to put in a half-million for a turf field “earmarked for Powelson Field,” it’s a no-brainer.

Powelson Field is the perfect location for Carroll’s first turf field. Not only would the county have a turf field, but by putting it here, it would be a great honor to Ed Powelson and his family, which is how Carroll County has always worked. If your not familiar with Ed Powelson, Google him and you will understand his meaning to this county and its sports.

Key word is first, easiest to get up and running and the beginning of more to come. If you’re from the north, south, east or west area of Carroll County, I think we all agree it needs to happen, for the kids of the entire county. If you are not familiar with Powelson Field and the North Carroll campus, I know you will be pleasantly surprised when you see and experience it for the first time.

Miles Taylor, a 2013 Westminster graduate with cerebral palsy, weighs just 99 pounds. He recently gained widespread social media attention when a video of him deadlifting 200 pounds went viral. Miles trains at NEVERsate Athletics in Westminster with his coach, Nicolai Meyers.

Miles Taylor, a 2013 Westminster graduate with cerebral palsy, weighs just 99 pounds. He recently gained widespread social media attention when a video of him deadlifting 200 pounds went viral. Miles trains at NEVERsate Athletics in Westminster with his coach, Nicolai Meyers.

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Kate Maerten of Gerstell Academy, 1st place winner of the Poetry Out Loud regional competition, reads an original poem which she won a 2nd Place for, at the Carroll Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Kate Maerten of Gerstell Academy, 1st place winner of the Poetry Out Loud regional competition, reads an original poem which she won a 2nd Place for, at the Carroll Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Recruits in the Carroll County Sheriff's Office Training Academy get hands-on training behind the wheel of a police car at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Driver Training Facility in Sykesville.

Recruits in the Carroll County Sheriff's Office Training Academy get hands-on training behind the wheel of a police car at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Driver Training Facility in Sykesville.

Jim Roark writes from Hampstead. He is a member of the Hampstead Town Council.